芦北の野坂の浦ゆ船出して
水島に行かむ波立つなゆめ
水島に行かむ波立つなゆめ
- Roma-ji
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Ashikita no Nosaka no ura yu funade shite Mizushima ni yukamu nami tatsu na yume
- English Translation
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From Ashikita,
from the bay of Nosaka,
setting out by boat,
to Mizushima I will go—
waves, do not rise, not at all!
- Meaning
- Setting out by boat from the bay of Nosaka in Ashikita, I will go to Mizushima—waves, never rise!
- Commentary
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Book Three Miscellaneous Poems 246
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Two poems by Prince Nagata when, dispatched to Tsukushi, he crossed to Mizushima"
Paired with the preceding poem, this too was composed on the way to Mizushima. About to set sail from the bay of Nosaka in Ashikita toward the sacred island, the prince commands the waves never to rise. His prayer for a safe voyage is carried by the force of the command. In the next poem, Master Ishikawa responds to this final line.
The poet, Prince Nagata, was a royal of the early Nara period who served as Governor of Ōmi and Master of Settsu, among other posts, and died in Tenpyō 9 (737).
First line "From Ashikita": Ashikita was a district of Higo, around present-day Ashikita, Kumamoto.
Second line "from the bay of Nosaka": Nosaka is thought to be a bay on the Ashikita coast. Yu is an old particle meaning "from" or "by way of."
Third line "setting out by boat" simply describes the departure.
Fourth line "to Mizushima I will go": mu expresses resolve, and the sentence breaks here. The line has one syllable too many.
Fifth line "waves, do not rise": na is a prohibitive particle and yume means "never." Addressed to the waves, it prays for a safe passage, and the last line of the next poem answers it.
- Author
- Prince Nagata
- Source
- Manyoshu
- Prev Poem
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Kikishi goto makoto tōtoku kusushiku mo kamusabi oru ka kore no Mizushima
- Next Poem
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Okitsu nami henami tatsu tomo waga seko ga mifune no tomari nami tatame ya mo